Tuesday, October 13, 2009

This should be good....

There's a new state reading assessment program that all grades must administer to their students....grades 3-12 have it (relatively) easy, as it's a computer-driven test that the students all due online. However, for the younger grades, the teachers must administer it one-on-one to each and every student (and this is NOT a short test). To make a long story short, the deadline in which to finish the testing is fast approaching and some of our 1-2 grade teachers are falling behind. Therefore, they're looking for 3-8 grade teachers to go into those classrooms on their planning (ie free time) and sub for the classroom teachers so they can devote themselves solely to giving this test.

I volunteered to help out; as a result, I will be teaching 2nd grade for about 50 minutes tomorrow.

There's a reason I teach the slightly older grades. Still, for a short period of time, it should be fun. Plus, that's the reading block, and teaching reading is basically the same from grade to grade (as far as reading and comprehension strategies go, anyway). Guess which story the second graders are reading right now? COURDEROY! Yup, the little bear with the missing eye or button or something. And since this will be their 2nd time through the story by the time I get in there tomorrow, I'll be able to use my favorite teaching strategy * on them, so we'll have fun.

*Teaching strategy: play dumb and let them "teach" you. I do it with my kids all the time. Tomorrow, it will go something like this. "Okay, I haven't read this in a while. Who can summarize for me what this story is about?" Or, on a specific page: "Wait a minute, I'm old and confused. What just happened on this page? Who can tell me?" Or, "Hold on. Why did he do THAT?" Then, if I run out of time, I'll have them write a story about what would happen if one of THEIR stuffed animals came to life. Oh yeah. Pulled that one out of my ass on the way home as I was wondering what the heck to do tomorrow, and I'm pretty proud of it, if I do say so myself. PLUS, I'm a teacher for one of the big kids, so I get to go in all mean and scary (unless the sweet and always-patient teachers in the younger grades) so I won't have any discipline issues. (...Having said THAT, they will probably eat me alive, LOL.)

It's only 50 minutes. How bad could it be? **

**This, my friends, is what's known as "famous last words."

6 comments:

Renee said...

LOL! You will be awesome. I know you prefer teaching the older kids, but you're so great with ALL kids; you'll do fine! And, speaking from Brent's second-grade class last year, they'll think it's hilarious that you're old and confused and they'll probably fall for it and "teach" you very happily :-) I'm excited to hear about your 50 minutes in the trenches! :-)

anna said...

Interesting, interesting...
It's awfully nice of you to donate your time.
I can't wait to hear how it went!

Renee said...

So... did they kill you? Where are you? ;-0

Fred said...

So, how did it go Jen?

If I had to teach a second grade class, I'd last ten, no, maybe five minutes.

What's funny to me is that when I cover for a teacher who calls in sick, some of them ask if I'm the sub. So much for making a difference.

anna said...

I think the 2nd graders got her.

Renee said...

I chatted with her on fb yesterday (Sunday). She's fine, had fun with the class and is helping out with another one today. She's just been really busy and had a leadership something or other on Saturday which was across the state. AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN GET PAID FOR IT. LOL.